Produttori del Barbaresco
Don Fiorino Barbaresco Riserva Nebbiolo
Barbaresco, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy
The 2016 “Don Fiorino” Riserva is a very special bottling from Produttori. So special in fact, that I can only recall them making a similar Riserva on two other occasions in their history: 1990 and 2008. When the vintage is strong, Produttori will bottle single-cru Riservas from 9 specific MGA’s within the cooperative. However, in 2016 the vintage was deemed to be so remarkable that they made a Riserva blend. Included in this blend are the 9 typical MGA’s along with grapes from some other, important MGA’s that are never bottled on their own (I believe Cottà and Faset are two of them). To commemorate the occasion, the wine was named after the priest, Don Fiorino Marengo who founded the Produttori in 1958. This is a wine fitting to such a legacy. Imagine the 2016 Produttori classico cranked up to 11. That’s about what we’ve got.
Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2016 “Don Fiorino” pours a deep garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the palate, the wine is developing with powerful notes of tart and ripe dark fruits: black cherry, pomegranate molasses, red flowers, talcum powder, sage and gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with low-key high tannin and zippy, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is remarkably long and juicy. So juicy in fact that it seems to mask the tannins but they are definitely there. The density is unreal. I expect this wine to live forever. Drink now with patience to appreciate its precocious youth (and because the 2016 vintage is so damned giving) but I expect this to be even better after 2031 and then remarkable through 2066. Thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist.
The 2016 “Don Fiorino” Riserva is a very special bottling from Produttori. So special in fact, that I can only recall them making a similar Riserva on two other occasions in their history: 1990 and 2008. When the vintage is strong, Produttori will bottle single-cru Riservas from 9 specific MGA’s within the cooperative. However, in 2016 the vintage was deemed to be so remarkable that they made a Riserva blend. Included in this blend are the 9 typical MGA’s along with grapes from some other, important MGA’s that are never bottled on their own (I believe Cottà and Faset are two of them). To commemorate the occasion, the wine was named after the priest, Don Fiorino Marengo who founded the Produttori in 1958. This is a wine fitting to such a legacy. Imagine the 2016 Produttori classico cranked up to 11. That’s about what we’ve got.
Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2016 “Don Fiorino” pours a deep garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the palate, the wine is developing with powerful notes of tart and ripe dark fruits: black cherry, pomegranate molasses, red flowers, talcum powder, sage and gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with low-key high tannin and zippy, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is remarkably long and juicy. So juicy in fact that it seems to mask the tannins but they are definitely there. The density is unreal. I expect this wine to live forever. Drink now with patience to appreciate its precocious youth (and because the 2016 vintage is so damned giving) but I expect this to be even better after 2031 and then remarkable through 2066. Thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist.
Absolutely stellar Nebbiolo. Medium garnet color with a ruby core. Expressive aromas of bright red cherry, rose petals, tar, leather, black pepper and eucalyptus. The palate also features red cherries along with ripe red plums/raspberries, black licorice, black tea and Asian spices. Nice crunchy minerality on the long and luxurious finish. Incredible combination of power and finesse. Gorgeous texture. Medium bodied and extremely well balanced. A very special wine. Thanks to Kasey and Petey for sharing.
Absolutely stellar Nebbiolo. Medium garnet color with a ruby core. Expressive aromas of bright red cherry, rose petals, tar, leather, black pepper and eucalyptus. The palate also features red cherries along with ripe red plums/raspberries, black licorice, black tea and Asian spices. Nice crunchy minerality on the long and luxurious finish. Incredible combination of power and finesse. Gorgeous texture. Medium bodied and extremely well balanced. A very special wine. Thanks to Kasey and Petey for sharing.
Jun 16th, 2024
